Team
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Kritika Balaji
Kritika has been part of the CWT team since 2020, in roles spanning evaluating capacity-development outcomes, researching drivers of trade, and crafting mitigating strategies. Her current focus is on reducing trade in wild animals as exotic pets, particularly in urban environments and online markets. Her interest lies in exploring the intersectionality of wildlife trade with sociology, environmental justice, and animal welfare. She believes in multi-sectoral and systems thinking approaches to countering illegal wildlife trade, emphasising stakeholder participation and pragmatic policy reform. Her background is in genetics and microbiology, with over nine years of experience working in wildlife conservation and plant pathology.
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Asish Mangalasseri
Asish holds a master’s degree in Ecology and Environmental Sciences from Pondicherry University. His previous work has focused on community-based conservation, participatory action research, and building conservation leadership. At WCS-India, Asish is involved in efforts to reduce the exotic pet trade, support the CWT helpline, and contribute to capacity-building initiatives.
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Nivedita Tanksali
Nivedita is an emerging environmentalist with an interest in policy, wildlife trafficking, sustainable development, and combating environmental degradation. With experience in marine conservation and renewable energy, she is invested in underrepresented ecological concerns and vulnerable species affected by overexploitation and climate change.